—her driver emerges as key suspect
Hopolang Mokhopi
FORMER Disaster Management Authority (DMA) chief executive officer (CEO), ‘Makhotso Caroline Mahosi’s driver has emerged as the key suspect in her gruesome murder.
Ms Mahosi was brutally murdered alongside her 11-year-old son, Kabelo, at their Matala Phase I home, Maseru, on 29 October 2023. Her house helper was also shot but survived. She is still fighting for her life in hospital.
Ms Mahosi’s driver, alongside two other suspects, have been arrested and are expected to appear in court today.
The trio had been expected to appear in court on Monday but the police applied for a further detention order from the Maseru Magistrates Court to facilitate further investigations. The extended detention expired last night. The suspects must therefore appear in court today because of a legal requirement for the police not to hold suspects for more than 48 hours without sending them to court. A further detention order is also valid for only 48 hours.
Police investigations have revealed that Ms Mahosi’s driver, from the DMA, had allegedly orchestrated the assassination plot with the hope of getting a staggering cash figure from the house.
Addressing the media on Tuesday at Police Headquarters in Maseru, police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Kabelo Halahala, confirmed that the 44-year-old driver from Ha Fako in Maseru was one of the arrested suspects
The driver had visited Ms Mahosi’s home on the fateful Sunday. Two armed men stormed into the house a few minutes after his arrival, demanding money.
“The two armed men pushed the driver outside the house while they held the deceased (Ms Mahosi) at gunpoint demanding money,” SSP Halahala said.
“One of them marched her to her bedroom while the other man remained in the living room with the helper and Kabelo. Ms Mahosi was later returned to the living room where they were all shot, and unfortunately, she and her son met their demise while the helper sustained serious injuries.”
SSP Halahala said the suspects had only found M1500 which they claimed was too little. It was not stated whether they shot them because the money was too little or if it was to destroy any evidence which could lead to them as the driver was known by Ms Mahosi’s family.
He said police investigations led them to arresting the three three; Ms Mahosi’s driver, a 24-year-old man from Ha Ralejoe and a 32 -year-old man from Ha Molengoane in Nazareth.
He added the police also found the suspects in possession of two 9mm pistols whose serial numbers had been erased.
“The driver had also taken the Mercedes Benz vehicle belonging to the Mahosi family. He led the police to where he had hidden it,” Snr Supt Halahala said.
Snr Supt Halahala said investigations were still ongoing.
Ms Mahosi and Kabelo were laid to rest on Saturday at Ha Mahosi in Mafeteng.
The driver may have believed that Ms Mahosi had a lot of cash stored in the house because the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) had seized M500 000 in Ms Mahosi’s other home in Mafeteng. The DCEO suspected the money was proceeds from crime after a plethora of corruption charges levelled against Ms Mahosi.
Ms Mahosi died when her corruption cases were still pending before the courts of law.
She has a pending case before the High Court wherein she was charged by the DCEO alongside former foreign affairs, tourism and local government principal secretaries, Thabo Motoko, Nonkululeko Zaly and Lefu Manyokole, respectively.
The DCEO accused them of prejudicing the government of M39 million during the state-of-emergency declared by then prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro, following the 2021 heavy floods and the Covid-19 pandemic.
They stand accused, alongside six other individuals, being Mooka Namoli, Setofolo Ramarou, Pule Thoahlane, Chipo Hulela, Keketso Makoko and Baba Ketso as well as companies Gee M Construction, Kypros Engineering, Maru-a-pula Mining and Construction and Botselo Pty Ltd. They were all released on M10 000 bail.
Ms Mahosi also had a pending case before the Maseru Magistrates Court in which she and Mr Manyokole had allegedly “corruptly” and “fraudulently” influenced the decision to award LL Construction a contract to build Seboche bridge without following procurement procedures. They had allegedly connived with the company owner, Pitso Ntsukunyane, to defraud the government of about M4,5 million. They were also released on M10 000 bail in that matter.
